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Sommelier

formerly Sales & Service for the Wine Professional

For over four decades this has been the handbook for sommeliers in training, and it remains the text the Court of Master Sommeliers teaches from. The sixth edition runs to eight chapters — from the vine to the table — and it is the whole of what the study portal contains.

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Sixth edition · 2026 · Brian K Julyan, MS

Sommelier, the sixth edition, standing on a cellar counter

Eight chapters, one education

From the vine to the table — every discipline a working sommelier needs, in one volume.

  1. Viticulture & VinificationHow wine comes to be — terroir, the vine, fermentation and maturation, from soil and season to the finished glass.
  2. Sensory EvaluationThe Court’s deductive tasting format — turning tasting from guesswork into disciplined, repeatable reasoning.
  3. Wine Regions of the WorldThe working map of the wine world — region by region across six continents, anchored in classification and style.
  4. Fortified WinesSherry, Port and Madeira — flor, the solera and maderization, where process matters as much as place.
  5. Spirits, Liqueurs, Beers & MineralsThe whole drinks list — distillation, brandies, liqueurs, beer, cider and the mixers that complete service.
  6. Taking Beverage OrdersThe sommelier as host and guide — presenting the list, pairing with food, and assisting choice without ever dictating.
  7. Table & Bar ServiceThe choreography of the table — mise en place, glassware, temperature, decanting and the graceful handling of faults.
  8. Standard Practices & BehaviourThe professionalism that defines a sommelier — conduct, hygiene, teamwork and grace under pressure.

Six editions, four decades

The same book, revised and expanded six times since 1988 — each edition answering how the trade, the wine world and the Court’s own examinations had moved on.

  1. First edition, 1988 — Beverage Sales & Service1988Beverage Sales & ServiceFirst editionThe foundational handbook — written for a new generation of sommeliers entering the trade. The starting point for thousands of careers in wine.
  2. Second edition, 2003 — Sales & Service for the Wine Professional2003Sales & Service for the Wine ProfessionalSecond editionRetitled and expanded — broader coverage of wine regions and updated service protocols for the modern dining room.
  3. Third edition, 2008 — Sales & Service for the Wine Professional2008Sales & Service for the Wine ProfessionalThird editionRefined examination preparation and deeper coverage of Old World regions. The tasting methodology codified for structured study.
  4. Fourth edition, 2012 — Sales & Service for the Wine Professional2012Sales & Service for the Wine ProfessionalFourth editionNew World regions added in full. Fortified wines and spirits coverage extended, with updated food and wine pairing principles.
  5. Fifth edition, 2020 — Sales & Service for the Wine Professional2020Sales & Service for the Wine ProfessionalFifth editionComprehensive revision across all chapters — enhanced glassware, spirits and bar service guidance, with fully updated examination content.
  6. Sixth edition · retitled, 2026 — Sommelier2026SommelierSixth edition · retitledRetitled and reborn. Updated maps, new insights, and fresh content designed to inform, inspire and support every candidate’s journey through the world of wine.

Brian K Julyan, MS

Brian K Julyan, MS, FHI, LCG is a Master Sommelier, Fellow of the Hospitality Institute, and a Licentiate and Honorary Member of the City & Guilds of London Institute. He has worked across every part of hospitality — practical, managerial and consultative — and was Cellar Master to the Lord Clifford of Chudleigh for a number of years. He has visited nearly all the major wine regions of the world, taking most of his knowledge first-hand from winemakers, and judges internationally.

He passed the Master Sommelier Diploma in 1972. He was the instigator of the Court of Master Sommeliers, established in 1977, of which he is a founding member — Chief Examiner from 1990 to 2016, Chief Executive from 1998 to 2018, and today President of the Court of Master Sommeliers Europe.

Brian K Julyan, MS
Brian K Julyan, MS

Honours

2005
3rd Annual ‘Ho‘okele’ Award for Lifetime Achievement, Kapalua Wine and Food Festival, Maui
2010
First Lifetime Achievement Award, Court of Master Sommeliers Europe
2018
Lifetime Achievement Award, Asia Wine Institute
2025
Gérard Basset Award — for a lifetime of passion, commitment and mentorship in wine and hospitality

On the pass, or in the pocket.

The paperback is still published, and many candidates keep both — the book on the pass, the portal in the pocket. The study portal carries the sixth edition in full.

Order from the CourtSee the study portal

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